Amplified Bible
Exodus 23:7
7Keep far away from a false charge or action, and do not condemn to death the innocent or the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the guilty.
Exodus 23:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
- New International Version (NIV)Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
Context of Exodus 23:7
5If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall not leave the man to deal with it [alone]; you must help him release the animal [from its burden]. 6“You shall not pervert (bend) the justice due to your poor in his dispute. Keep far away from a false charge or action, and do not condemn to death the innocent or the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the guilty. 8“You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous. 9“You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the soul [the feelings, thoughts, and concerns] of a stranger, for you were strangers in Egypt.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 23:7 word by word
מִדְּבַר־שֶׁ֖קֶר תִּרְחָ֑ק וְנָקִ֤י וְצַדִּיק֙ אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹ֔ג כִּ֥י לֹא־אַצְדִּ֖יק רָשָֽׁע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Keep thee farרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
- from a falseשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
- matterדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- and the innocentנָקִיnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- and righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- thou not: for I will not justifyצָדֵקtsâdaq · to justifyH6663
- the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
Cross-references for Exodus 23:7
- Exodus 23:1“You shall not give a false report; you shall not join hands with the wicked to be a malicious witness [promoting wrong and violence].
- Leviticus 19:11‘You shall not steal, nor deal deceptively, nor lie to one another.
- Deuteronomy 19:16If a malicious witness rises up against a man to [falsely] accuse him of wrongdoing,
- Job 22:23If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
- Proverbs 4:14Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not go the way of evil men.
- Isaiah 33:15He who walks righteously and speaks with integrity, Who rejects gain from fraud and from oppression, Who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil;
- Luke 3:14Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us, what are we to do?” And he replied to them, “Do not extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
- Ephesians 4:25Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ].
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].
- Deuteronomy 27:25‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- Exodus 34:7keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”
- Proverbs 17:15He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous Are both repulsive to the Lord.
- Nahum 1:3The Lord is slow to anger and great in power And He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
- Romans 1:18For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth,
- Romans 2:5But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Commentaries on Exodus 23:7
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 Four precepts evidently addressed to those in authority as judges: (a) To do justice to the poor. Comparing Exodus 23:6 with Exodus 23:3, it was the part of the judge to defend the poor against the oppression of the rich, and the part of the witness to take care lest his feelings of natural pity should tempt him to falsify evidence. (b) To be cautious of inflicting capital punishment on one whose guilt was not clearly proved. A doubtful case…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7God's character inspires people to act righteously (see 22:22–24, 27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. put not thine hand--join not hands.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 23:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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